This New Survey Proves Most Americans Suck At Basic Science

The loudness of a sound is determined by what property of a sound wave? If you answered "amplitude" or "height," then congratulations! You just joined the paltry 35 percent of Americans who answered the basic science question correctly.

According to a Pew Research Study, a mere 6 percent of 3,278 "randomly sampled adults" got a perfect score on a 12-question quiz composed of "basic science questions."

So, what constitutes basic science knowledge? Well, do you, for example, know which layer of the Earth is the hottest? Or the main way that ocean tides are created? If you don't, not to worry. You're even allowed a few more incorrect answers if you want to go for the median score of eight out of 12 (which would translate to a "D," by the way. For shame.)

As the reputable think tank reports, "The median was eight correct answers out of 12 (mean 7.9). Some 27% answered eight or nine questions correctly, while another 26% answered 10 or 11 items correctly."'

If you think you can do better than most Americans, give it a go here. At the very least, you'll get one question right.

Michelle Nois an editorial assistant at Supercompressor and her proudest high school achievement is passing her AP Physics C exam. Thank you, Mr. Kirby. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.